


Gradually, little by little

by CrescentScar



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Fluff, Getting Together, M/M, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:55:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21874018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrescentScar/pseuds/CrescentScar
Summary: Steve started checking after every mission that Tony is certainly alright and uninjured. And soon enough he’s checking in between the alien invasions and the attacks of the Week’s Villain, too.Gradually, little by little, Steve’s presence became a fact of life. Tony forgets himself in his lab and Steve makes sure he eats. Steve sits on the sofa in the corner of the workshop, drawing for hours or reading books (lately he’s been binging through the Hunger Games) or scrolling through social media. Tony usually chats with him — or thinks aloud, either way — and Steve listens, even asks questions that are surprisingly relevant.
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Comments: 7
Kudos: 98





	Gradually, little by little

**Author's Note:**

  * For [KapteeniAngie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KapteeniAngie/gifts).



> Okay so I wrote this thing first in Finnish and then figured out maybe there could be an audience for this sort of thing in English as well. The prompts I got stay with their respective texts but I have changed them in a more of a chronological order, if someone has read them in the other language and is wondering.

**1.**

_Candle_

Tony isn’t sure where it begins. JARVIS could no doubt pinpoint the exact moment, could tell him when everything changed with a second’s margin of error, but Tony doesn’t want to ask. Months ago, he guesses, maybe when an electromagnetic pulse powered down the Iron Man suit in the middle of the fight and he fell down 15 floors, or when a horned space lion with _tentacles_ hit Tony and he flew through a window and three walls, or when AIM kidnapped him and Tony managed to free himself right before SHIELD charged in, thank you very much. The point is — he managed to get himself hurt (slightly, barely) and Steve played a mother hen. 

…and after that Steve started checking after every mission that Tony is certainly alright and uninjured. And soon enough he’s checking in between the alien invasions and the attacks of the Week’s Villain, too. Gradually, little by little, Steve’s presence became a fact of life. Tony forgets himself in his lab and Steve makes sure he eats. Steve sits on the sofa in the corner of the workshop, drawing for hours or reading books (lately he’s been binging through the Hunger Games) or scrolling through social media. Tony usually chats with him — or thinks aloud, either way — and Steve listens, even asks questions that are surprisingly relevant.

So now, when Steve is pulling him from a three-day invention bender to the master bathroom of the penthouse, Tony isn’t remarkably surprised. Edges of the bathtub are filled with candles, there’s some on the countertops and shelves, too. It’s an excessive amount of candles. Steve must have spent ages arranging and lighting them.

But soon Tony settles down in the warm water, leans back against Steve’s chest and the candles are the last thing on his mind. Actually, every thought just dissipates. He sighs as the tightness he hadn’t even noticed in his muscles loosens. Steve presses his lips against Tony’s neck. Tony leans his head on Steve’s shoulder and closes his eyes.

* * *

**2.**

_Smiling_

Tony has countless smiles. Steve can name five of them, but he’s sure there’s plenty more.

_1\. The Press smile_  
Steve has seen a few different versions of this. Tony’s smile in the Avengers press conferences is different than in interviews, and if the questions get too personal his smile gets this sharp accent. Steve doesn’t know if Tony notices it himself.

_2\. The Sales smile_  
When Tony wants someone to like an application or product (or a bad idea), he wears this particular smile that makes him seem friendly and warm, even. Like he only wants what’s best for you. He’s delightful, charismatic and charms everyone. At least those who do not know him personally.

_3\. The Science smile_  
If Steve has to put the smiles in order, this would be his second to favourite smile. When Tony comes up with someone and gets to execute his theories and hypotheses, he looks so happy. Steve doesn’t need to wonder why Tony spends so much of his time in his workshop. His brain is constantly working and in his lab, he can let it all free, see the hologram models before building the prototypes, run tests after tests after tests. Tony is so excited, in a world of his own, and Steve thinks it’s beautiful.

_4\. The smile for loved ones_  
Tony smiles to Pepper differently compared to Rhodey. Clint has his own flavour, so does Natasha and Thor. Even Bucky gets his own smile that is completely different from others. But still, all of them have similarities. His eyes are squinted and shining with something warm, crow’s feet in the corners of them. His smiles are always sincere, genuine.

_5\. The smile for Steve_  
When Tony looks at Steve with this smile on his lips, Steve isn’t sure Tony even knows how he looks. Open but uncertain, fragile and hard at the same time. Happy, but like he thinks he doesn’t deserve any of this. Steve’s favourite smile shows up when he manages to say something appropriate to Tony’s tech babbles and Tony seems surprised, overjoyed even. For a moment Tony stops and stares at Steve quietly. Then he grins and turns back to his inventions.

Steve has seen thousands of different flavours of Tony’s smiles from affectionate to exasperated, from absent-minded to amazed, and he has immortalised all of them in his sketchbook. When Steve finally kisses Tony for the first time, he already knows Tony’s lips by heart.

* * *

**3.**

_Scent_

When Steve stays on a recon mission in Serbia for over a week, Tony has to accept that his bedroom has become _their_ bedroom. Tony has managed to get used to sleeping his nights through semi-regularly and most of all well. The bed feel too big and too cold without Steve. His scent starts to fade away from the sheets and Tony wants to cry when he’s hugging Steve’s pillow and it doesn’t comfort him like it did the first nights Steve was gone. If Tony does cry, no one but JARVIS knows and he would never testify against him.

Steve comes back after two weeks. After exactly two excruciating weeks. Tony wakes up to Steve crawling in the bed damp from the shower and folds his arms around Tony’s waist. He hums from the verges of sleep and Steve laughs in the nape of Tony’s neck. It takes a while before Tony is conscious enough for tasks that need brain activity, like turning in Steve’s arms.

“Hey,” Steve whispers, caressing Tony’s cheek.

“Hey,” Tony answers and kisses Steve lazily before pressing his head under his chin. He breathes deeply against Steve’s collar bone. Steve smells so good that Tony has to wonder if scents can be intoxicating. It feels like it. Steve smells clean, like steam and almond soap, and like _Steve_ , something that can’t be explained but if Tony was pressed, he would say there’s a hint of sweetness. He’s warm and _close_. In Steve’s arms, Tony feels like the world is exceedingly tiny and calm.

“Missed you,” Steve says quietly, but Tony falls asleep before he gets a chance to answer.

* * *

**4.**

_Orange_

They have been contemplating for weeks how to tell their friends about their relationship. Tony keeps saying that they should sit down with them and let them ask their prying questions. Steve knows that Tony has his mind full of arguments against any accusations that he’s not good enough for Steve. Steve also knows that each one of them is unnecessary. He thinks they could just sit closely together during the movie night and if someone asks, casually mention that they’re a couple. Each one of their friends would be happy for them.

One afternoon after Fury summoned them to the helicarrier Tony brings their long debate to an end. He has been working with Bruce for hours without reprieve and like Steve usually does, he makes sure that Tony is eating at least something. He peels an orange and sets it down on Tony’s table.

“Thanks, love,” Tony says absentmindedly and doesn’t notice how everyone else turns to stare at them. Steve stares back like a deer in the headlights. Clint, Natasha, Bucky and Fury stop their conversation and even Bruce stops his calculations to look at Tony with his head tilted like a puppy. An adult man living with an enormous rage monster under his skin shouldn’t look so adorable. Steve glances at Tony, who is munching on his orange and going through his test results and then back to their friends who are starting to look amused instead of confused. Steve sighs.

“You’re welcome, sweetheart.”

It appears that the automatic response time has ended, since Tony surfaces. He looks up from all of his holographic displays and seems puzzled. “Hm? What?”

Nat is the first one to start laughing.

* * *

**5.**

_Red wine_

Three weeks after Tony decides to become sober, Pepper comes to New York for a visit and orders Tony and Steve to have dinner with her. Tony is staring at himself from the full-length mirror in the walk-in closet with his tie in his hands. He sighs deeply and shakes his head.

Steve walks to him, takes the tie from his hands and starts tying a Windsor knot for him. “We could spend the night here. I can cook,” Steve offers. “I’m sure Pepper understands.”

Tony looks at Steve and smiles, something like gratefulness in his eyes. “Pepper’s wanted to eat in Trattoria Il Posto for ages. Apparently I will love it,” Tony says with amusement and rolls his eyes.

When they have ordered their dishes the waiter asks if they want to take a look at the wine list. Pepper gets some red wine the waiter recommends, Tony says that water is enough. Steve doesn’t know if he can ever comprehend how Pepper asks a question that _demands_ an answer by lifting one eyebrow.

“For solidarity,” Tony explains. “Steve can’t get drunk.”

Pepper huffs and gives them a knowing smile. Steve grins and takes Tony’s hand under the table. Tony entwines their fingers together and holds Steve’s hands until the waiter comes back with their orders.

* * *

**6.**

_Coffee_

One of the first things Steve learned about Tony was that to live, he seems to need caffeine more than water. Tony used to substitute healthy sleeping schedules with all-nighters and a pot of strong coffee. Even though Tony sleeps better these days, he will never be a morning person. Unless Stark Industries forces him to be, and even then he usually stays up the night before even though Steve tries to beg and persuade and coerce him to bed.

Steve has gone on his daily morning run with Bucky and come back, sparred with Natasha, hit the showers and made breakfast before Tony scrambles from their bedroom and sits at the kitchen table. Steve gets Tony’s _I’m a scientist — To save time let’s assume I’m never wrong_ -mug and the coffee pot from the kitchen and sets the mug down next to Tony before filling it. 

“Coffee, my one true love,” Tony whispers in his cup.

Steve clears his throat to get Tony’s attention, even though it’s kind of a doomed to fail attempt before the third cup. Clint laughs and the corner of Natasha’s mouth is twitching with a smile.

“One of the true loves of my life,” Tony mends before emptying his mug with one swig. He holds out the mug towards Steve with a tired smile on his lips.

“Right answer,” Steve says and fills the mug again.

* * *

**7.**

_Writing_

Tony has been through countless scandals with his love life, he has experienced speculation, judgment, criticism. For Tony it has always seemed like everyone else wants to shout their love from the rooftops — even Rhodey’s social media has been filled with pictures of him and Carol being happy, doing couple-y stuff. Tony himself has never believed he could find a relationship that would stay private. But in reality, they have been together with Steve for years and besides tabloids and some odd fans, no one has ever really even suspected they would have a relationship. Their friends and family know and that is more than enough. It is everything Tony wants.

Somehow Pepper manages to get an appointment at the City Hall without the press getting wind of it. Tony doesn’t know how Pepper did it but he suspects it includes bribery, threats and maybe a couple of NDAs. They take Bucky and Pepper with them to be their witnesses, go in through the backdoor and meet up with the clerk in a small office. They don’t need ceremonies, flowers and white doves. Two rings are enough. Steve vows to love Tony even when he drowns in projects and inventions. Tony vows to love Steve even though he’s reckless and stubborn.

When they write their names down on the marriage certificate, Tony has never been more certain that what he has with Steve is something beautiful and secure. More precious than anything in the world.

They bet which of the witnesses would cry and Steve loses. Pepper hands Bucky a tissue as Steve tucks a one-dollar note in Tony’s breast pocket.

He always keeps the bill in his wallet. It’s the only cash Tony carries with him.


End file.
